


Would you come home?

by lydiamxrtin



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [3]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, Carlos supporting TK, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Supportive Carlos, Worried TK Strand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:41:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29159817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lydiamxrtin/pseuds/lydiamxrtin
Summary: Bad Things Happen Bingo Prompt ● "Voice-breaking” + Tarlos.Coda to 911 Lone Star 2x03: after learning about the helicopter crash and the commander's refusals to send a rescue team, TK calls Carlos for support (essentially me sprinkling some tarlos h/c on this episode)
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2119380
Comments: 13
Kudos: 176
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo





	Would you come home?

**Author's Note:**

> so I know that in reality TK was on the phone to Gwyn when he said 'I love you too,' but then I wanted to write some tarlos and saw and voice breaking squad on my bthb so here we are! I hope you guys enjoy and feel free to make a request on my tumblr at @tkstrrand!✨🤍

TK’s knuckles were white from clenching his fist too hard, and gritted his teeth from the effort to remain silent as the captain in front of him told the team they couldn’t go rescue his dad. 

“They could be bleeding out right now. Dying!” TK’s words exuded an animosity that was like acid - burning, slicing, potent, how could this man keep him from his captain, his _dad._

“Son, we haven’t had any cell or radio contact since the mayday.” TK clenched harder at the use of the word son. This man wasn’t TK’s dad, his actual father was currently being abandoned on a fire engulfed mountain. “Nobody else is risking their lives tonight, and your father would be the first one to agree with me,” TK raised his eyes from the table, looking at the man that was the sole thing keeping him from his father. He pushed himself off the table and turned, walking out of the tent ignoring the voices that called to him. He also ignored the thick smoke that was travelling through the air as he walked aimlessly through the base.

The helicopter had gone down. His dad had been in it. 

TK kept his hands clenched tight next to him, dismissing the pain that shot through his aching arms. TK came to a halt, pacing on the spot.

They couldn’t just leave his dad out there, he could be hurt, or stuck or-TK shook his head trying to break the thoughts apart. He bit down hard on his bottom lip to stop it from trembling, now wasn’t the time for crying or feelings, it was the time to _do something._

But there wasn’t anything to do, they wouldn’t sanction a rescue mission, TK was stuck here and his dad was stuck up in the mountains surrounded by fire and ash. 

TK felt the fear and anger inside him convulsing. Every muscle felt tight, sprung for action and yet TK could just pace on the spot, his body screamed at him to race towards the mountain where he knew his dad was, but he just paced.

TK came to stand in front of a table, looking down at empty bottles and random equipment. He swiped everything off, sending the items thudding and crashing to the ground. The action did little to settle the anger, if anything it made TK angrier like he’d lit a fuse in his chest. 

He snatched the phone out of his pocket, pressing his dad’s name, the phone rang until it went to voicemail. TK tried again and again, until he just held the phone by his face as the voicemail played, beeping to indicate he should leave a message.

TK looked up at the sky, trying to imagine for a moment for the ash that was falling as snow, “Dad if you’re there please, just…” TK didn’t know what he was going to ask, ask him to get okay, ask him to answer, to be alive. “I’m going to bring you home dad,” TK cried, clenching his hands hard next to him. “Dad-” The phone, like a cruel reminder he had no control over the situation, cut him off. 

TK stared down at the phone for a moment before hitting his speed dial, “Hey, how's it going down there?” Carlos said, the noise of the police station humming in the background, “I heard they’ve got crews from all over the country, I hope you’re playing nice,” He joked, and TK wished he could see the beautiful smile he was sure was on his boyfriend's face, “TK?” Carlos said, clearly noticing TK’s lack of responses.

TK could feel his muscles loosening, the anger and worry still tight in his chest, “I don’t know what to do,” TK croaked, standing next to the broken mess he’d made on the floor.

“What happened, are you okay?” Carlos asked, the smile surely gone from his face.

TK reached up with his free hand, pinching his brows together, “Yes, no I mean-no” He stuttered and stumbled, his words all seemingly falling on top of one another.

“TK talk to me,” Carlos said calmly, that same warmth and support that was always in his voice.

“My dad and Hen were in a chopper going to find this lost kid right by an active burn zone and and,” TK let his hand fall harshly as he started to pace again, “The wind changed and they radios for mayday and the chopper-” He let out a shaky breath, the scene before him growing blurrier; but not from smoke, “It went down,” he whispered. 

He heard Carlos curse, then let out a deep sigh much like TK’s before continuing, “TK-”

“-There’s been no radio or or anything since,” He interrupted, his mind switching from fear the paralysed him to anger that demanded to be felt, demanded him to move “And they won't send a friggin search team to find them even though we know where they are!” He yelled, resuming his usual pacing, sure the ground beneath him was growing thinner, “They could be dying out there, alone surrounded by fire and-”

“Alright take a breath Ty,” Carlos interrupted. TK tried to take a breath but it just seemed to get stuck in his throat, coming out erratic and quick, “Is there somewhere you can sit?” He asked.

“I don’t wanna sit down,” TK snapped, clenching his jaw.

“It's better than pacing, I’m pretty sure you’ve got a long night ahead of you, so why don’t you just sit for a moment,” Carlos finished, no sign that TK dickish snapping beforehand had any effect on the man.

TK managed to take in a deep breath, turning around to perch on the edge of the table, close enough to a seat right now.

“How’d you know I was pacing,” TK asked, staring down at the ash-covered floor.

“Because I know you,” Carlos playfully said, and TK felt a twinge of a smile appear, “And I know you’re worried,” his voice more serious this time.

TK shook his head, “He’d just got better, we’d just got our lives back,” Ever since they’d gotten his fathers diagnose it felt like there had been a timer of their lives like TK was waiting every day for the other shoe to drop. “And Tim and now this and I-” The lump in TK’s throat caused him to choke as he suppressed the sob that wanted to crawl it’s way out.

“Hey, hey, just breathe for me,” Carlos soothed, giving TK a few seconds to compose himself, “You said your dad was with someone, Hen right?” Carlos asked.

“Yeah a paramedic from the 118,” TK sighed.

“So he’s with a paramedic, someone who can help if they need it,” At first TK had clung onto that if his father was hurt she could help, but what if she was hurt, or worse or what if neither of them- “just because the radios are down doesn’t mean they aren’t okay,” Carlos interrupted TK’s spiralling, almost like he could hear his panic thoughts through the silences.

“I thought you weren’t meant to get peoples hopes up when you didn’t know the outcome,” It was the first thing you learned when you became a first responder, and one of the hardest. Getting someone's hopes up, just to let them down can be crueller than just telling them the truth.

“I don’t know the outcome, but I know Owen,” Carlos said.

TK used to think his dad was invincible, he’d heard stories about him on 9/11, seen him in action himself surviving things that should be impossible. 

Then he got cancer. The shield that TK had imagined around his dad was just that, _imaginary,_ something a scared little boy had concocted to make himself feel better. His dad might have beat cancer but those months of watching him at chemo, struggling to breathe, it had done untold damage to TK’s imaginary shield and watching Tim die the other week, had all but shattered it.

“The chopper crashed into the ground Carlos, they are surrounded by fire-” The list went on in terms of the amount of danger his dad was in. TK watched as a drop of water thudded onto the ground, the scorched earth instantly soaking it up. Another tear trickled down TK’s face, cutting a line through the ash and soot, “I’m scared,” He admitted, his voice breaking, “And I feel so helpless just sat here while my dad could be-” TK didn’t dare finish those words, instead choosing to clench the table hard, his fingers protesting the action but TK ignored it, focusing on the pain and not the number of horrific ways he could finish that sentences. “I’m glad you’re safe, but I really wish you were here right now,” TK said, wanting nothing more than to crawl into Carlos’s arms and lap till he felt safe again.

“So do I,” Carlos said, “But just because I’m not there with you doesn’t mean I’m not here for you,” TK gave a faint smile at that, “Have you spoken to your mom?”

“No, we don’t have any news yet and I don’t want her to worry,” TK didn’t even know what he’d say, how he’d explain the situation and why he wasn’t out there looking for his dad.

“I know you’re scared and worried but you just gotta hold on okay, you’re going to be okay, I promise,” TK couldn’t help but notice that Carlos had said _he_ would be alright, not his dad. “Now I need you to promise me something,”

TK reached up and wiped the tear from his cheek with the back of his hand, “If it's that I won't spend the rest of the night pacing I’m not sure I can promise that,” he tried to joke, knowing Carlos would worry about TK all night he if thought he wasn’t okay.

“Promise me that you won't put yourself in unnecessary danger,” Carlos said, his voice quiet but serious, “That you won’t run into that fire alone to do something crazy” TK looked down at the ground, as if he was trying to avoid Carlos gaze, “I know you wanna find your dad but...just promise me you’ll come home,” Carlos finished, his voice shaky and unstable.

TK swallowed, kicking the dirt around with his shoes. He looked back up, the mountains before him still ablaze, red and orange the only colours that could be seen in the darkness. 

Tears pricked his eyes again, he wanted nothing more than to promise Carlos he wasn't going to run into those flames, that he wouldn't do anything crazy. “I can’t leave him out there,” TK trembled, “He’s my dad,” he said, his voice breaking and hitching in his throat. 

He was his dad, and he might lose him.

He heard Carlos sigh on the other end, the man making no effort to try and argue. Carlos knew TK, maybe better than anyone else, and he knew that he couldn’t leave his dad out there, and TK wasn’t about to promise something different. 

TK pushed himself off the table, standing for a moment before sinking down onto the chair next to him, his legs feeling the brunt of today's seemingly never-ending shift, “But I promise I’ll be home,” He said, “I’ve got something pretty great worth getting home for,” He smiled. 

Before moving to Austin, TK had never much thought about making it back home, not to say he planned to get hurt or wanted to but his mind was always focused on the present, on the adrenaline the job gave him.

Since he and Carlos had started dating, that had changed. When on his shifts, he wanted nothing more than to get home to Carlos, to arrive safely in the man's arms. 

“You’re going to be okay, so is your dad; I’ve never met two stronger or stubborn people,” Tk smiled, small and quick but a smile at that, “Listen I gotta head back to shift but I’m going to keep my phone on loud okay, call me if you hear anything, or just want to talk,” Carlos said.

TK leaned his elbows on his knees, running his hands through his hair, “Thank you, Carlos,” He breathed.

“Please be safe,” Carlos asked, “I love you,” Another smile, this time wide and warming. It hadn’t been some big grand gesture the first time one of them had said it. After a particularly hard day at work and spending the evening helping with his dad's chemo, TK had come home to find Carlos had cooked his favourite meal and despite his own long shift, was still awake. The words fell from his lips easily as did they from Carlos’s, like they had said it a thousand times before but just never with words.

“I love you too,” TK smiled, both men stayed silent for a moment as if they were just enjoying the other's company. Eventually, he pulled the phone from his face, dropping it onto the table.

TK had two promises to keep; one to his dad, and one to Carlos. He could find his dad, even without a truck or a team he would find him. However, TK _was_ coming home tonight, he would walk through Carlos’s door and see the smile on the face of the man he loved.

No one else would die today, no one else would lose anyone, they were all getting home no matter what. 

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING! I hope you all enjoyed it!🤍🤍


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